Church and Synagogue Affiliation: Theory, Research, and Practice

In this book, scholars and church and synagogue leaders examine religious affiliation in contemporary America. Their essays explore the dynamics of congregational affiliation: the motivations which impel people to join a congregation, drop out or remain unaffiliated; the practices within churches and synagogues which attract or repel membership; and the ways in which contextual religious, social, and cultural factors influence patterns of congregational affiliation. The book is principally concerned with churches and synagogues in the more liberal denominations of Christianity and Judaism, those where the greatest membership losses are occurring.

Over the past few decades membership in mainline churches in the United States has declined, with some groups losing more than 20 percent of their membership. Similarly, four decades ago, 60 percent of all American Jews were religiously affiliated; today that number is below 40 percent. This book seeks not only to explain the reasons for declines in affiliation, but also to propose approaches that may combat the decline and showcase studies of congregations that have succeeded in holding their memberships. This work will be of great interest to scholars of religion in America as well as clerics, rabbis, and others actively involved in congregational life.

Acknowledgment
Foreword by Rabbi Renni S. Altman
Introduction by Amy L. Sales and Gary A. Tobin
Defining The Issues
A Framework for Understanding Congregational Affiliation: Suggestions from Research within the Christian Tradition by David A. Roozen
Definitions of Congregational Growth by Rev. Loren B. Mead
Interdenominational Dialogue: Seeking a Common Language for Affiliation Research and Practice by Gary A. Tobin
The Unaffiliated
Congregational Involvement of Young Adults Who Grew Up in Protestant Churches by Dean R. Hoge, Benton Johnson, and Donald Luidens
Four Styles of Religious Marginality by Penny Long Marler and C. Kirk Hadaway
Profiles of the Disaffiliated: Four Case Studies by Amy L. Sales
Programs and Practices
Reaching Out to the Unaffiliated by Rabbi Steven E. Foster
Luther Place Memorial Church: A Church as Refuge/Sanctuary by Rev. John F. Steinbruck
Bethany Baptist Church: Growth through Planning and Social Action by Dr. James A. Scott
Congregation B'nai Jeshurun: The Power of a Relevant Message by Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer
The Institutional Context of Affiliation
Leadership, Ministry, and Integrity Amid Changing Roles for Clergy and Laity by James R. Wood
The Role of National Religious Institutions in Congregational Affiliation and Growth by William McKinney
Afterword by James P. Wind
Bibliography

AMY L. SALES is a Professor and senior research associate at the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University.

GARY A. TOBIN is a Professor and Director of the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University.